(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved method of forming the joint between two predecorated wallboards and an improved predecorated wall comprising abutting predecorated wallboards joined by said method.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Predecorated wallboard building panels are widely used in the building industry, including the manufactured housing industry, to form relatively inexpensive and durable walls. Although the dimensions can vary, the predecorated wallboard building panels are typically manufactured in 120 cm..times.240 cm. (4'.times.8'), 120 cm..times.270 cm. (4'.times.9'), 120 cm..times.300 cm. (4'.times.10'), and 120 cm..times.360 cm. (4'.times.12') sizes and are nailed, screwed, or otherwise secured to wall studs. Although the predecorated wallboard building panels may be easily secured to the wall support studs to form a wall, it is well known in the art that the joints between the adjacent panels are difficult to hide or decorate in a manner so as to render them unobtrusive. In fact, although numerous solutions to the problem have been advanced, the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved until the development of the method of this invention of joining adjacent predecorated wallboards.
In fact, many prior art efforts at concealing the joint between predecorated wallboard building panels tend to emphasize the joint rather than create a monolithic, seamless wall. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,199 to Dawdy et al. discloses a concealed joint for the fastening of predecorated wallboard. The patent teaches pressing the edges of the predecorated sheet into joints formed between the panels and then inserting a decorative strip to hold the predecorated sheet edges in place in the joint. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,805 to Wenkowski discloses a paper batten for use in "concealing" the joints between predecorated gypsum wallboard. The batten is fabricated from predecorated wallboard paper with pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back thereof for securement over the joint. Unfortunately, it has been found that the paper battens tend to wrinkle and fall off. Moreover, the battens when in place are still noticeable and do not create the appearance of a monolithic or seamless wall.
In another method known to those familiar with the art of construction predecorated wallboard walls, wallboard with vinyl film or the like adhered to only the major center portion of the wallboard front face is used. The wallboard is formed with tapered side edges so that abutting wallboards are secured to wall studs by fasteners through the tapered side edge portions to which the vinyl covering is not adhered. Conventional joint compound (such as used in traditional gypsum wallboard joint filling) is then applied over the slight channel defined by the two abutting tapered wallboard side edge portions so as to conceal the fasteners and the joint in a manner similar to that in which joints and fasteners are concealed in standard drywall construction. Once the joint compound has been allowed to cure, the unadhered edge flaps of the vinyl film attached to the center of the wallboard are trimmed to precisely fit adjacent flaps, and the flaps are glued to the surface of the dried joint compound. If sufficient care is utilized in trimming and joining the abutting edge flaps, a monolithic wall appearance is achieved with this conventional predecorated wallboard wall construction. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,935 to Kossuth et al. and also discloses a concealed joint for the fastening of predecorated wallboard. Kossuth et al., however, use a tapered edge wallboard and the "mud system" for filling the channel between the sheets and the tapered area. However, a significant shortcoming is that this method requires the use of tapered edge wallboard and considerable skilled labor to properly finish the joints. The method of this invention for joining predecorated wallboards and the walls formed thereby provide for a similar monolithic appearance using and eliminates the need for skilled labor to form the "seamless" joints between adjacent predecorated wallboard building panels.